Thursday, January 12, 2017

Time Ball – Sydney Observatory 1858

When the Time Ball was installed atop Sydney Observatory in 1858 it used the movement of the stars to calculate the correct time, culminating with the daily dropping of the Time Ball.
This allowed ships in Sydney Harbour to synchronise their chronometers in order to safely bring new passengers to Australia, deliver mail to loved ones overseas, and to plant the seeds for our growing nation. The Time Ball connected and informed us.

Nearly 160 years later, the Time Ball, is now one of less than ten still in operation around the world, continuing to drop daily at 1.00 pm and serving as a constant reminder of the technology that permeated our daily lives before the advent of radio, television or wristwatches.

But the Time Ball has seen only one improvement since its installation and we need your help to conserve it, ensuring we can continue to look to our history to inform our future.

With your gift, you can help ensure the Time Ball operates for the next 160 years.